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Mike Marber, professor of cardiology at King's College London and head of the UK arm of the research, said: "We've shown that this test is not only just as good as the current test for working out who has had a heart attack, but it's also much better at working out who hasn't.

"We would love to see this new test rolled out in hospitals in the next five years."

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Dr Tom Kaier, one of the lead researchers from St Thomas's, said: "It is important for both patients and doctors to work out early who has had a heart attack and who hasn't.

"We often see patients in hospital who have to stay for further tests as a result of a mildly abnormal blood test - this is stressful and often unnecessary.

The new blood test could free-up doctors' time.

"Our research shows that the new test has the potential to reassure many thousands more patients with a single test, improving their experience and freeing up valuable hospital beds in A&E departments and wards across the country."

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the BHF, said more research was needed before the new test could completely replace the troponin test.

But he added: "Big heart attacks are often easy to diagnose with an ECG but smaller heart attacks, which are more common and also life-threatening, are more challenging."